Classical conditioning

Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS) is paired with another stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US) that brings about an automatic, unlearned response. After the association is learned, the CS is sufficient to elicit the automatic response that is normally elicited by the US.

Latest Research and Reviews

Research | 28 July 2022

Dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens core mediates latent inhibition

Kutlu, Zachry, Melugin et al. show that dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core is evoked by novel, neutral stimuli and tracks stimulus familiarity in the absence of valence-based predictions. These signals influence the speed of future learning for familiar stimuli.
- Munir Gunes Kutlu
- , Jennifer E. Zachry
- & Erin S. Calipari
Nature Neuroscience 25, 1071-1081
Research
14 July 2022 | Open Access

Prefrontal projections to the nucleus reuniens signal behavioral relevance of stimuli during associative learning
- Xiaotian Yu
- , Fasika Jembere
- & Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi
Scientific Reports 12, 11995
Research
05 July 2022 | Open Access

Positive effects of bubbles as a feeding predictor on behaviour of farmed rainbow trout
- Aude Kleiber
- , Jean-Michel Le-Calvez
- & Violaine Colson
Scientific Reports 12, 11368
Research
21 May 2022 | Open Access

No effect of dual exposure to sulfoxaflor and a trypanosome parasite on bumblebee olfactory learning
- Owen P. Vaughan
- , Edward A. Straw
- & Mark J. F. Brown
Scientific Reports 12, 8611
Research | 16 February 2022

Differential mechanisms underlie trace and delay conditioning in Drosophila

Trace and delay conditioning experiments in Drosophila reveal the different neurons and signalling mechanisms that underlie this behaviour and highlight similarities with observations of learning experiences in mammals.
- Dhruv Grover
- , Jen-Yung Chen
- & Ralph J. Greenspan
Nature 603, 302-308
Research
15 February 2022 | Open Access

The mere sight of loved ones does not inhibit psychophysiological defense mechanisms when threatened
- Florian Bublatzky
- , Sabine Schellhaas
- & Pedro Guerra
Scientific Reports 12, 2515

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News and Comment

News & Views | 15 February 2021

Learning is a matter of history and relevance for lateral hypothalamus

By probing the dependence on learning history or motivational significance of stimuli, Sharpe and colleagues reveal previously uncharacterized contributions of lateral hypothalamus GABA neurons to associative learning.
- Stan B. Floresco
Nature Neuroscience 24, 295-296
Editorial | 11 August 2020

Go forth and replicate

The motto of the Royal Society, “nullius in verba”, enjoins scientists to ‘take nobody’s word for it’. Its call to trust nothing unless it can be replicated is no less relevant now than it was 360 years ago.

Nature Plants 6, 901
News & Views | 13 January 2020

When does midbrain dopamine activity exert its effects on behavior?

Rewards direct behavioral adaptation through midbrain dopamine signaling, though the timing of those effects is often ambiguous. Lee and colleagues find that different subpopulations of dopamine neurons obey similar constraints, indirectly regulating reward-related behavior through learning mechanisms restricted to a brief time window following reward.
- Luke T. Coddington
Nature Neuroscience 23, 154-156
News & Views | 25 November 2019

Pavlovian patterns in the amygdala

Reitich-Stolero and Paz examined multineuron correlates of Pavlovian learning in the primate amygdala. They found repeating patterns of activity across neurons that may mediate synaptic-level plasticity mechanisms. This extends the notion of replay, often examined relative to navigation in the hippocampus, to aversive learning in the amygdala.
- Bruno B. Averbeck
Nature Neuroscience 22, 1949-1950
News & Views | 29 April 2019

Memories light the corners of my mind

Using light-activated ion channels to stimulate sensory and motivational pathways, Vetere and colleagues constructed fully artificial memories in mice. Mice preferred or avoided an odor they had never smelled before, depending on the pattern of stimulation.
- Mark G. Baxter
- & Nicholas A. Upright
Nature Neuroscience 22, 845-846
Research Highlights | 09 April 2019

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 signaling and appetitive Pavlovian behavior: implications for the treatment of addiction
- Jocelyn M. Richard
Neuropsychopharmacology 44, 1516-1517

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Classical conditioning

Latest Research and Reviews

Dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens core mediates latent inhibition

Prefrontal projections to the nucleus reuniens signal behavioral relevance of stimuli during associative learning

Positive effects of bubbles as a feeding predictor on behaviour of farmed rainbow trout

No effect of dual exposure to sulfoxaflor and a trypanosome parasite on bumblebee olfactory learning

Differential mechanisms underlie trace and delay conditioning in Drosophila

The mere sight of loved ones does not inhibit psychophysiological defense mechanisms when threatened

News and Comment

Learning is a matter of history and relevance for lateral hypothalamus

Go forth and replicate

When does midbrain dopamine activity exert its effects on behavior?

Pavlovian patterns in the amygdala

Memories light the corners of my mind

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 signaling and appetitive Pavlovian behavior: implications for the treatment of addiction

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